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Shipping Items to Roatan

Anytime you move to a new home, you need to minimize. You need to go through absolutely everything you own and decide what to keep, what to donate, what to sell, what to simply throw away. It is a long, hard process. But if you’re moving to paradise…trust us…it’s worthwhile! Whatever you do decide to take with you, you’ll likely have some items that can’t go on the plane. Here’s some insight into shipping items to Roatan.

Shipping Items to Roatan

There are a few different ways to ship things to the island. For smaller items including important documents, Americans often use FedEx or DHL, which is received by RasXpress here in Roatan.

You can collect from their office just across the street from the airport, so it’s a quick pit stop anytime you’re heading along the main road. Dip Shipping has recently offered a new service to fly small shipments to Roatan, which is ideal for documents and small packages.

Canadians have to get their documents apostilled back home for all legal purposes in Roatan. To send your apostilled documents to Roatan, many Canadians opt to utilize an airline. Both SOSA and CM Airlines offer excellent service and you can collect your documents right at the airport.

For shipping larger items to Roatan, there are a few companies offering services from the U.S.

Dip Shipping is incredibly popular because of their excellent customer service. They will deliver your packages to you, so you don’t need to collect massive parcels or pallets and somehow get them home on your own. Their customer service is always great – even if you have an issue for any reason. Expats in Roatan love Dip Shipping.

Hyde Shipping is another popular option, though it is often preferred for business shipments rather than personal shipments. Obviously, import taxes will vary depending on the purpose of the items. For business shipments, Hyde tends to offer better rates and services.

Island Shipping is another local company offering service between the mainland and Roatan, which can be ideal for purchases on the mainland. Furniture and appliances are often more widely available and cheaper at the larger stores on the mainland.

Dispensas for Shipping Items to Roatan

If you qualify for a retiree residency visa, you will be able to ship one container of household goods and one vehicle without additional import tax. You must have obtained the residency visa prior to shipping. These dispensas are a welcome bonus for retirees looking to move to Roatan!

Something to keep in mind when looking into shipping a vehicle is the ability to have it serviced on the island. If there are no mechanics familiar with your make or model, or if replacement parts are unavailable, you might find your imported vehicle to be more trouble than it’s worth.

Additionally, you need to remember the roads here on the island. Don’t bring your fancy sports car. Four-wheel-drive is highly recommended for living on the East End, including where we’re located at Mariposa Lagoon.

The Roatan expat community is incredibly welcoming and very helpful to newcomers. If you want advice for specific items or other recommendations, the many Roatan Facebook groups are a great place to start asking. We are also always happy to help any way we can. After all, we want to be good neighbors!